Daijiworld Media Network - Sydney
Sydney, Jan 13: Australia women’s cricket captain Alyssa Healy has announced that she will retire from all forms of international cricket after leading the national side in the upcoming multi-format home series against India in February–March.
Healy clarified that she will not take part in the T20 International matches, as the team shifts focus towards preparations for the T20 World Cup. However, she will continue to lead Australia in the ODI series and the one-off day-night Test match scheduled to be played in Perth.
The 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, niece of former Australian great Ian Healy, made her international debut in 2010 at the age of 19 against New Zealand. By the time she hangs up her boots, Healy will have represented Australia in 162 T20Is, 126 ODIs and 11 Tests.
She holds the record for the most dismissals in women’s T20 Internationals, with 126 to her credit, and is regarded as one of the most destructive batters and finest wicketkeepers the women’s game has seen.
Healy took over as Australia’s full-time captain in 2023 following Meg Lanning’s retirement. Her leadership quickly delivered results, including a historic Ashes whitewash against England. Under her captaincy, Australia also reached the semi-finals of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup and the 2025 Women’s World Cup.
A key member of Australia’s golden generation, Healy was part of eight ICC World Cup-winning teams, including six T20 World Cups and two ODI World Cups. She also played a crucial role in Australia’s gold medal-winning campaign at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Her individual honours include the Belinda Clark Award in 2019 and being named ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year in both 2018 and 2019.
At the domestic level, Healy has been a mainstay for the Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League, scoring over 3,000 runs across 11 seasons and winning two titles. She also captained UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League, further underlining her leadership credentials.
Reflecting on her decision, Healy said the upcoming India series would be her last in Australian colours.
“It’s with mixed emotions that the upcoming India series will be my last for Australia. I still love playing for my country, but the competitive edge that’s driven me for so long isn’t quite the same anymore. The timing feels right,” she said.
Explaining her absence from the T20I series and the T20 World Cup, she added that limited preparation time influenced her decision. “I’m excited to finish my career by captaining the ODI and Test sides at home in one of the biggest series on our calendar,” she noted.
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg hailed Healy as “one of the all-time greats”, praising her immense contribution to the sport and her influence both on and off the field.
As Australia prepares to host India in a white-ball series starting February 15, the cricketing world gears up to bid farewell to one of the most iconic figures in women’s cricket.